Missing MH370: All game logs on pilot's flight simulator deleted in February says IGP

SEPANG - All game logs on the Boeing 777 simulator built by missing MH370 pilot Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah were deleted on Feb 3 this year - over a month before the Boeing 777 went missing, said Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sama-Sama Hotel here yesterday, Khalid said: "What we found from the simulators is the data log from the games was cleared on Feb 3 so the experts are looking at what was cleared. Our forensic experts, including those from cybersecurity, Malaysia Airlines and foreign experts are working to restore the erased data logs in the flight simulator," said Khalid.

The simulator had been recovered from Zaharie's Shah Alam home by police and rebuilt at Bukit Aman to be studied by experts.

It had been made with off-the-shelf computer hardware including an ASUS Direct CUII and Rampage IV Extreme motherboard and six flat-screen monitors.

Khalid said there were three games found on Zaharie's simulator, Flight Simulator X, Flight Simulator 9 and X Flight Simulator.

Speaking at the same press conference, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein also addressed this issue, confirming the attempts to recover the deleted data.

"We are hearing all information relevant to the case along with all relevant international agencies that require it. Local and international expertise has been recruited to examine the pilot's flight simulator," said Hishamuddin

However, he cautioned that the pilots were "innocent until proven otherwise."

"All passengers, crew, and ground staff handling the aircraft are being investigated. I will say that the passengers, cabin crew and pilots remain innocent until proven otherwise," said Hishamuddin.

MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the early hours of March 8 heading for Beijing. It has since disappeared with its 239 passengers and crew.

CCTV footage, supposedly of the pilot and co-pilot going through security checks at the KL International Airport (KLIA) prior to boarding the Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight, has found its way onto the Internet.

British tabloid Daily Mail uploaded a CCTV recording of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and first officer Fariq Abdul Hamid on their website

which showed the two being frisked as they passed a security checkpoint at the boarding gate in KLIA before the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

This, coupled with the fact the plane's communication equipment was disabled before the exchange took place "suggested an attempt to mislead ground control", and added to "suspicions that someone who knew the controls was involved in the disappearance".

Captain Shah's colleagues described him as a jovial but professional "aviation geek" who collects remote controlled miniature aircrafts, light twin engine helicopters and amphibious aircrafts.

It was unclear if they took away a flight simulator from his house. The media was barred from entering the housing area by security guards.

Police searched the home of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight last Saturday.

The search of the pilot's home began when Malaysia acknowledged that the Beijing-bound plane had been diverted deliberately by a person or persons with expert aviation knowledge.

Journalists and photographers from China's Jiangsu TV, filming at the entrance of the compound at the home of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah at Leman Seri in Shah Alam

Three policemen in an MPV showed up at a posh gated community at Section 13 around 2.40pm and left around 4.45pm.

The search came soon after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak confirmed that the plane was suspected to have been deliberately diverted.

Security guards stand in front of the main gate house of the area where captain Zahari Ahmad Shah lives, the pilot captain of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane

A journalist films the home of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid in Shah Alam, near Kuala Lumpur

First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who along with a fellow pilot violated airline rules in 2011 by allowing two young South African women into their cockpit during a flight, one of the women told Sydney-based Nine Network.

The report included photos of the women in the cockpit, with one appearing to show them posing with a man resembling Fariq.

Passengers have been prohibited from entering the cockpit during a flight after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

The encounter took place during the one-hour flight from the Thai beach resort of Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, the report said.

"Malaysia Airlines has become aware of the allegations being made against First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid which we take very seriously. We are shocked by these allegations," a statement by the airline said.

"We have not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the alleged incident. As you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and we do not want our attention to be diverted," the airline said.

CCTV footage, supposedly of the pilot and co-pilot going through security checks at the KL International Airport (KLIA) prior to boarding the Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight, has found its way onto the Internet.

British tabloid Daily Mail uploaded a CCTV recording of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and first officer Fariq Abdul Hamid on their website

which showed the two being frisked as they passed a security checkpoint at the boarding gate in KLIA before the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

This, coupled with the fact the plane's communication equipment was disabled before the exchange took place "suggested an attempt to mislead ground control", and added to "suspicions that someone who knew the controls was involved in the disappearance".

Captain Shah's colleagues described him as a jovial but professional "aviation geek" who collects remote controlled miniature aircrafts, light twin engine helicopters and amphibious aircrafts.

It was unclear if they took away a flight simulator from his house. The media was barred from entering the housing area by security guards.

Police searched the home of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight last Saturday.

The search of the pilot's home began when Malaysia acknowledged that the Beijing-bound plane had been diverted deliberately by a person or persons with expert aviation knowledge.

Journalists and photographers from China's Jiangsu TV, filming at the entrance of the compound at the home of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah at Leman Seri in Shah Alam

Three policemen in an MPV showed up at a posh gated community at Section 13 around 2.40pm and left around 4.45pm.

The search came soon after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak confirmed that the plane was suspected to have been deliberately diverted.

Security guards stand in front of the main gate house of the area where captain Zahari Ahmad Shah lives, the pilot captain of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane

A journalist films the home of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid in Shah Alam, near Kuala Lumpur

First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who along with a fellow pilot violated airline rules in 2011 by allowing two young South African women into their cockpit during a flight, one of the women told Sydney-based Nine Network.

The report included photos of the women in the cockpit, with one appearing to show them posing with a man resembling Fariq.

Passengers have been prohibited from entering the cockpit during a flight after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

The encounter took place during the one-hour flight from the Thai beach resort of Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, the report said.

"Malaysia Airlines has become aware of the allegations being made against First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid which we take very seriously. We are shocked by these allegations," a statement by the airline said.

"We have not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the alleged incident. As you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and we do not want our attention to be diverted," the airline said.